The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-10-20

ohAASSS VAC CuuECu tIlu C00 sewing CIT
Gle, but lovers of fifty years ago are
not so easily brought to the Ii ht of
day. She'll be a very sphinx if you
try to extract the secret of her aged
maidenhood."
l believed in myself rather than in
Regina, on this especial theme, and as
phrenologist had just told me there
were carloads OF paper waiting for my
pen, naturally l wanted to take pos.
session OF interesting material. So
began to court aunt Lucy. There
was ample opportunity. l met her
twice in the church on Sunday, and
as often on week days "out to tea"
when it was very delightful to walk
home with her, and sit while in her
cosey room on Ant1er street.
l asked her about the old times
when the church was in it's infancy,
and about the people who filled it's
ample spaces before the great division
which occurred during the war of
1912.
One night remember the dim can
die light, and just how she looked ply
ing her busy knitting needles-we had
been to tea at Capt. Rlce's, and she
talked about sea captains a great
deal on her way home; when, rising
and going to the bureau, she fumbled
among the papers and brought me g.
miniature OF a ''sea captain" she said.
The very young face was genial and
honest, and asked her if he went to
the old church.
eyes; we went to the old church to.
gether, when we were children"
"That is a beautiful picture, aunt
Lucy. Where was it painted?"
"1n Paris" she replied, and her
voice was low and tremulous.
"Tell me about him, aunt Lucy"
"Why, l have never told anybody
about him.
''But you can tell me. I am soon
going back to my home among the
green country hills, and it will be lust
as safe with me as though it were
locked up in a chest and the key
lost"
IL don't know what made me show
you the picture. have never shown
the picture to one OF the girls. But l
do feel just like talking about him to-
night, and I guess will. We went to
Ma'am Goreham's school together
when we were children; and he used to
carry my books for me, and lead me,
and liked him better than any of the
other boys and girls, and he liked ME.
Then when he was not a bit more
than fifteen, he went to sea. l did
not want him to 60, but he would.
"He said he meant to be rich sea
captain and know all about the Won
derful countries all over the world. He
was gone six years, and when he came
home, If he was not a capt ain, he was
pretty near it. He came to see me
the very first place he went, and
brought ME the miniature and these
shells. and some other lovely things,
too, which did not last like the shells.
That was the time we were engaged,
but was too happy to tell OF it, and
not soul ever knew.
"He went off again to be gone three
years, and he expected to be captain
before he came back, and then we were
to be married, and was to take ono
voyage with him. and if liked it, /
might 60 as often as l pleased. l
thought should live on the sea if he
did. l was very busy, and the three
years did not seem so long as !
thought it would. But when it was
all ended the captain did not
come and the waiting was hard. By
and-by, the newspapers said that the
vessel Sailed for home at a given time,
and ought to have reached port long
before. But ] did not give up. kept
on hoping and praying, and praying
and hoping that my captain would
yet come.
'Nly wedding dresses were all ready
Il did not have them made in Penn
hollow, for fear the people would find
out, and wanted to keep it all to my.
self. But the long days kept coming
and going just the same; and every
morning when I awoke my heart
ached, and it did not get over aching
all day. used to go down to the
shore and look out on the sea almost
every day; but that only made me
sadder. was beginning to think that
my captain was lost, and I grew very
Then one day Parson Richards COM
torted me, though he did not
know it. He took for &: text, "He
hoideth the sea in the hollow Of his
hand;" and oh, he talked beautifully
about the good, loving father who has
so many doors into his heavenly
kingdom, and after that, it did not
seem so terrible to 60 by way OF the
sea. And even in thinking of the body
OF my captain being rocked in the
sea, it was all right after knew that
Gods arms was under the water.
Then said l must live, and as was
poor, with no friends to help me,
must work. So set up the little can.
dy store. I kept q variety OF other
articles which brought great many
people, and especially children, into
my store every day. 1t was good for
me, seeing them, for it helped me to
keep a pleasant face, and after awhile,
the sunshine got down into my heart.
The old church helped me more than
anything else, and the ministers wives
were always kind to me and wanted
me to sit in their pew. He never came
back, and we never heard from him or
the vessel"
This, then, was aunt Lucy's 70.
nance; locked in her heart for fifty
years; filling her life with serene and
gracious sweetness, broken at my feet
at last like the alabaster box OF pre-.
cious ointment. Now had secret
that even Regina could not know, that
would not have her know for the
world. Was she not daily question.
ing me about a lover OF mine who was
! a long way off, and whom she sus
| pected OF GOODNESS? I could not let
her know the tender bond holding me
to aunt Lucy.
In my determination to hide my
hearts unrest, watched the postof
flee, and when she questioned me
about letters from him, l avoided a
direct answer. Regina, in her young
content-well, she wanted great boon
to come to all whom she loved. But
that could hardly be possible. "Si1
Arthur" as we liked to call him, was
a princely man, and Regina had
drawn prize in life's lottery.
The winter days were at length
counted out amid much going and
| coming and real earnest work in the